The clothes were delicate and showed signs of being tidied, but the person was nowhere to be found.
"No wonder she has been so obedient these past few days; she’s been deceiving me!"
"No wonder! Manxue... my foolish girl, what are you trying to do!"
Lady Ni, crying, hurriedly ordered people to search for her.
"Search carefully along the streets leading away from the residence, and you must bring Miss back!"
"Yes!"
A group of house servants quickly left the residence.
However, the Ni Residence was not large, and they had few servants. Moreover, the streets and alleys of the Capital City were filled with hutongs.
Looking for someone who was intentionally hiding was like looking for a needle in a haystack!
In the end, not only did they not find her, but they also became the subject of new ridicule.
Miss Ni had acquired a new reputation, one of shamelessness!
’She’s not even married yet, and she’s already off on a hundred-*li* search for her husband? TSK! TSK!’
’A young lady, and she’s already lost all her face before even leaving her home!’
’Truly, how shameless!’
While sighing, people spoke all kinds of malicious words.
The Ni Family had completely become the laughingstock of the entire Capital City.
Neither Lady Ni nor General Ni cared. They continued to search everywhere as usual.
Even if no one else acknowledged Manxue, she was still the pearl they had raised for over a decade, the jewel in the palm of their hands.
But now, where was their jewel?
How could an unmarried young lady stay out all night? Darkness was falling fast!
Lady Ni and General Ni felt as if their hair had turned white with worry in an instant.
As night fell and the Capital City gradually quieted, the Ni Residence remained brightly lit.
The exhausted servants returned after a day’s search, empty-handed.
Manxue was still missing without a trace.
Day turned into night, and night into day again.
Lady Ni and Old Master Ni hadn’t closed their eyes all night.
By the next morning, they both looked much older, their hair considerably whiter overnight.
The maids brought in water for them to wash up and served breakfast.
"Master, Madam, please eat something!"
Lady Ni smiled bitterly.
"How can I possibly eat!"
General Ni also looked exhausted, his temples dusted with white.
"Madam, you’re frail. You should eat something!"
"Today, I’ll go to the Yamen and ask for more men to help with the search. You haven’t slept all night. Eat something and get some rest!"
"Don’t worry. Manxue is quiet, but she’s a girl with her own ideas..."
But as he spoke, General Ni found he could no longer continue.
The world outside is too dangerous. What does a girl confined to her boudoir truly understand? No matter how resourceful she might be, can she really avoid all harm?
Tears streamed down Lady Ni’s face.
"You... you mustn’t push yourself either. Manxue isn’t back yet. We can’t afford to collapse before she returns!"
General Ni nodded, his eyes red-rimmed.
"Sigh! Madam, please, you eat something first!"
They urged each other to eat, but in the end, the food grew cold, untouched by either of them.
Who could possibly eat at a time like this?
As the two sat in silence, a servant boy suddenly rushed in to report.
"Reporting to Master and Madam, someone from the Xia Family is here!"
General Ni and Lady Ni exchanged puzzled glances.
"What are they doing here at a time like this?"
"Indeed..."
Despite their confusion, they both rose.
They instructed a servant to invite the guests in and lead them to the parlor, while another brought them water to wash up and fresh clothes.
Once they had composed themselves, Lady Ni and General Ni proceeded to the parlor together.
In the parlor where guests were received, Old Master Xia and Lady Yao had already finished their third cup of tea and were growing impatient.
Seeing their hosts finally appear, they didn’t wait for them to speak first.
Old Master Xia couldn’t wait to sneer.
"Is this how the Ni Family receives its guests?"
Lady Yao, her nose in the air, chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "My lord, you can’t really blame them. These martial families don’t pay much heed to etiquette!"
Old Master Xia glared at General Ni and Lady Ni, clearly infuriated, but he eventually waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough, enough! I won’t stoop to arguing with you!"
With that, he got straight to the point.
"You must have heard about my son!"
"Tragedy can strike at any moment, and fortune is fickle. Even though we as parents are heartbroken, there’s nothing we can do!"
"I am here today to call off the engagement with the Ni Family. After all, we’ve only just begun discussions, so it won’t cause much of a delay for anyone."
"Your Ni Family’s daughter is exceptionally beautiful and talented. She won’t lack for good matches..."
Old Master Xia said this with an air of entitlement, his eyes narrowed.
His son had died suddenly, and he was, in truth, upset. But fortunately, the boy was merely the son of a concubine and wouldn’t have inherited the family estate. His death could only be attributed to ill fate! Besides, the Emperor had bestowed a generous sum of gold and silver as compensation. This gave the Xia Family sufficient face, so Old Master Xia had no real complaints! Dying for one’s country, after all. His death was honorable, brought glory to their ancestors, and he himself had profited financially. This was... killing three birds with one stone, a triple gain!
Old Master Xia was secretly pleased, while Lady Yao was even more delighted.